Why Now? My Motivation for Learning German Again
I’ve always wanted to be a polyglot. Growing up in Korea, I learned English, but since much of Korea’s media and culture is influenced by the U.S., I felt saturated by it, even though I had never actually sat a foot there. This desire for something new was one of the key reasons I applied for a master’s program in Germany: I wanted to challenge myself with a new language and culture.
I’ve been living in Germany for eight years now (since September 2016), but despite this, my German remained stuck at the B1 level. I reached that point during my university’s free German courses, which only went up to B1. Since my studies and work didn’t require much interaction with native speakers, I could manage day-to-day life without major issues. However, this meant I never truly improved beyond that level.
Over the years, I tried several times to improve my German. I attended Volkshochschule (VHS) courses and subscribed to various magazines like Spiegel, Stern, Focus, and Brigitte. Despite these efforts, I made little progress. I wasn’t using German in daily life, and the language remained something I couldn’t fully grasp.
After leaving my previous job, I decided it was time to fully commit to learning German again. At the time, I wasn’t sure whether I’d stay in Germany long-term, but I knew that learning the language was a sensible step. If I left Germany, it would be my last opportunity for immersive learning. And if I stayed, speaking fluent German would allow me to connect more deeply with the people around me, understand the culture, and widen my career options.
I shared this goal with the Job Center (Arbeitsagentur), and they agreed that improving my German would help me secure a more fulfilling job. They sponsored me for a “Berufssprachkurs B2,” a German course focused on workplace language. However, because these courses aren’t offered every month, I had to wait 2.5 months for it to start. In the meantime, I began preparing on my own. Starting in February, I dedicated two hours a day to reviewing a German grammar book written in Korean.
Although the course itself was focused on job-specific German at the B2 level, my goal was much higher. I wanted to speak German fluently enough to have control over the language and communicate confidently with native speakers. And with that goal in mind, my journey began.